Background
The list of overall Porsche victories at the Sebring 12 Hours is long and prestigious:
- 1960 – Gendebien/Herrmann (Porsche RS-60)
- 1968 – Siffert/Herrmann (Porsche 907)
- 1971 – Elford/Larrousse (Porsche 917 K)
- 1973 – Haywood/Gregg/Helmick (Porsche Carrera RSR)
- 1976 – Holbert/Keyser (Porsche Carrera RSR)
- 1977 – Dyer/Frisselle (Porsche Carrera RSR)
- 1978 – Redman/Mendez/Garretson (Porsche 935)
- 1979 – Akin/McFarlin/Woods (Porsche 935)
- 1980 – Fitzpatrick/Barbour (Porsche 935 K3)
- 1981 – Leven/Haywood/Holbert (Porsche 935/80)
- 1982 – Paul Sr./Paul Jr. (Porsche 935 JLP-3)
- 1983 – Baker/Mullen/Nierop (Porsche 934)
- 1984 – Heyer/de Narvaéz/Johansson (Porsche 935 J)
- 1985 – Wollek/Foyt (Porsche 962)
- 1986 – Akin/Stuck/Gartner (Porsche 962)
- 1987 – Rahal/Mass (Porsche 962)
- 1988 – Ludwig/Stuck (Porsche 962)
- 2008 – Bernhard/Dumas/Collard (Porsche RS Spyder)
Following victory at the season opener in Daytona, the factory team is targeting success at the storied 12 Hours of Sebring with its two Porsche 963. Two additional hybrid prototypes from customer teams JDC-Miller MotorSports and Proton Competition will also compete in the top-tier GTP class. In the two GT categories, partner teams will enter a total of four Porsche 911 GT3 R.
There’s only one Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring will take place for the 73rd time on March 15. During an official IMSA test in February, the Porsche Penske Motorsport team extensively prepared for the upcoming endurance classic. Factory driver Matt Campbell set the fastest lap during the two-day test session at the wheel of the No. 6 Porsche 963. The two Porsche 963 fielded by Porsche Penske Motorsport, along with the customer-entered prototypes from JDC-Miller MotorSports and Proton Competition, will face even stiffer competition in the GTP class this year: Aston Martin will make its debut in IMSA’s top category.
“The 24 Hours of Daytona was a hard-fought battle over the full race distance, and we expect nothing less for the second round at Sebring,” says Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “We’re looking forward to facing the new competitors from Aston Martin. Our race cars serve as global brand ambassadors, and we relish competition in strong fields. The tougher the opposition, the more valuable the victories. All Porsche teams are hungry for success at Sebring.”
GT Categories: Four Porsche 911 GT3 R targeting class victories
In the GTD Pro class, two Porsche 911 GT3 R will take the green flag. Former Porsche Juniors Laurin Heinrich from Germany and Klaus Bachler from Austria will share the wheel of AO Racing’s “Rexy” with Belgian Alessio Picariello. In Proton Competition’s identical 911 GT3 R, Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz from Austria will be one of the drivers.
Following a podium finish in the GTD class at Daytona, Wright Motorsports will field a strong lineup at Sebring, with Americans Elliott Skeer and Adam Adelson teaming up with Australian Tom Sargent. In the pink-liveried Iron Dames 911 GT3 R, Denmark’s Michelle Gatting, Switzerland’s Rahel Frey, and Belgian Sarah Bovy will aim to make their mark.
The Race
The storied endurance race at Sebring is renowned as a punishing test for both man and machine, while also serving as ideal preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. No other circuit on the IMSA calendar places such extreme stresses on the cars. One reason: part of the historic layout runs over a former military airfield. Around 30 percent of the track surface consists of concrete slabs, and the notoriously pronounced bumps present a unique challenge. This is why the track is often referenced with the hashtag #RespectTheBumps on social media.
The 73rd running of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s 12 Hours of Sebring will take place on the 6.02-kilometer Sebring International Raceway. With 18 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in the history of this endurance classic. Between 1976 and 1988, Porsche notched up 13 consecutive wins. The most recent Porsche overall victory came in 2008, when Germany’s Timo Bernhard and Frenchmen Romain Dumas and Emmanuel Collard piloted a Penske-run Porsche RS Spyder to victory against a field of theoretically superior LMP1 prototypes.
Porsche race cars at the 12 Hours of Sebring
GTP Class (Porsche 963):
- Porsche Penske Motorsport #6: Matt Campbell (AUS), Mathieu Jaminet (FRA), Kévin Estre (FRA)
- Porsche Penske Motorsport #7: Felipe Nasr (BRA), Nick Tandy (GBR), Laurens Vanthoor (BEL)
- Proton Competition #5: Neel Jani (SUI), Tristan Vautier (FRA), Nico Pino (CHL)
- JDC-Miller MotorSports #85: Gianmaria Bruni (ITA), Nico Müller (SUI), Tijmen van der Helm (NLD)
GTD Pro Class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
- Proton Competition #20: Richard Lietz (AUT), Claudio Schiavoni (ITA), Matteo Cressoni (ITA)
- AO Racing #77: Klaus Bachler (AUT), Laurin Heinrich (GER), Alessio Picariello (BEL)
GTD Class:
- Iron Dames #83: Michelle Gatting (DNK), Rahel Frey (SUI), Sarah Bovy (BEL)
- Wright Motorsports #120: Adam Adelson (USA), Elliott Skeer (USA), Tom Sargent (AUS)
Event schedule
Thursday, March 13
- 10:05 am – 11:35 am: Free Practice 1
- 3:05 pm – 4:35 pm: Free Practice 2
- 7:45 pm – 9:15 pm: Free Practice 3
Friday, March 14
- 11:25 am – 11:40 am: GTD Qualifying
- 11:50 am – 12:05 pm: GTD Pro Qualifying
- 12:40 pm – 12:55 pm: GTP Qualifying
Saturday, March 15
- 10:10 am – 10:10 pm: Race
Above content © 2025 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee
